Let me issue out a very important reminder WHY Israel was to exterminate the Canaanites and their false religions from the face of the planet.
The reason why is because if they didn’t, they would be tempted to worship the false Canaanite gods in the region and thus fall into idolatry.
Being politically correct and compromising, even a little bit, was not allowed.
And let me make it clear, Israel at this stage had no intention of compromising but here’s the thing, and this is something we should all make careful note of, over time, no man is more powerful than the environment that surrounds him.
If Israel didn’t properly destroy the Canaanites and every vestige of their false religions, it was inevitable they would be influenced by the surrounding heathen culture.
And in fact, unfortunately, in later books of the Tanakh, we’ll find that’s exactly what happened.
The Israelites eventually did compromise and some of them ended up worshiping their heathen neighbors’ pagan gods and participating in their worship celebrations and festivals.
In fact, that last sentence pretty much sums up what the rest of the Hebrew Bible is all about.
Israel falls into idolatry, God sends prophets to warn them, Israel doesn’t heed the prophets’ warnings, and then God judges Israel by kicking them out of the land.
Of course, the full blown consequences of Israel’s idolatry didn’t manifest overnight.
Once Israel started down that slippery slope of compromise, the effects were too tiny to be realized…
…until they were too big to stop God’s judgement…
…and by then, it was too late.
Sin or maybe it’s better to say anything that can lead to sin has got to be nipped in the bud early before it takes root and starts sprouting.
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